The present invention relates to a karabiner with at least one hoop and at least one closing part and at least one insertion opening of the hoop, which can be closed off by the closing part in a closed position, with the closing part being pivotally mounted at the hoop via a closing part—pivot axle between the closed position and a maximally opened position, and with at least one blocking element being mounted pivotally at or in the closing part via a blocking element—pivot axle, with in at least one blocking position the blocking element blocks the closing part in its closed position from any pivoting of the closing part in a direction towards its maximally opened position and allows in at least one released position for the closing part to pivot in the direction towards its maximally opened position.
Karabiners are used in the most various embodiments and for various purposes, e.g., in a multitude of sports, such as climbing, ice-climbing, mountain climbing, paragliding, hang-gliding, and the like. They are also used for securing working personnel from falling. In general the hoop of the karabiner is hooked into a rope, an eyelet, or the like. For this purpose, the rope or the eyelet is inserted through the insertion opening into the interior of the hoop. The insertion opening is opened by pivoting open the closing part. When the rope or the eyelet is inside the hoop, the insertion opening can be closed again by pivoting back the closing part. In prior art several safety measures are known intended to prevent that during use of the karabiner the closing part is accidentally pivoted into the open position.
A generic way of securing the closing part is known from the first two exemplary embodiments of WO 95/19505. In this publication, a blocking element is mounted inside of the pivotal closing part, pivotal around a blocking element—pivot axle. This blocking element comprises a handle and a support bar. In the blocking position, the blocking element is in such a position that the support bar contacts a support surface of the hoop. In this blocking position any accidental pivotal opening of the closing part is prevented, the closing part is therefore blocked from any pivoting in the direction towards its maximally opened position. By pressing the handle, the blocking element is pivoted. The interior support bar is released from any engagement with the support surface of the hoop and the closing part can be pivoted around its closing part—pivot axle in the direction of its maximally opened position. A return pivoting occurs via a return spring into the initial position when the closing part and the blocking element are released.
The disadvantage of the above-mentioned generic prior art primarily comprises that when operating the handle of the blocking element, this element is pivoted in a direction towards the support surface arranged at the hoop. This in turn results in the implementation of a very limited and/or small opening angle of the closing part. Furthermore, when operating the handle only a comparatively short lever arm is effective, so that only a relatively weak torque is applied upon the closing part in the pivotal opening direction. For a pivotal opening according to prior art, frequently another operation is necessary directly at the closing part. Therefore, in practice usually the blocking element must be operated with one finger and the closing part with another finger in order to pivot the latter in the direction of the maximally opened position. This is laborious and cumbersome and can even be dangerous, particularly when only one hand is available for operating the karabiner.